Rail-joint.



PATENTED OCT. 13. 1903. 'G. H. MoKEE.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 2. 1902.

2 SEEET8-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

WITNES s E s:

NVENTOR.

l l 154W PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

. c. H. MuKEE.

RAIL JOINT. APPpIcATIoN FILED JUNE 2,;902.

H0 MODEL.

2 SHEET3-SHEET Z.

Wf TNE sass: IN V E NTOFZ.

7 MfiMzW UNITED STATES Patented October 13, 1903.

PATENT @FFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.-

srscrrrca'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,063, dated October 13, 1903. Application filed June 2, 1902. Serial No. 109,886. (NomodcL) To all whoa b it Ina/y concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. MQKEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved joint for supporting and securing the meeting ends of two adjacent rails.

The present invention particularly relates to that class of rail-joints described and claimed in an application filed by me on the 6th day of January, 1902, Serial No. 84,879. In said application I have claimed a rail joint in which a laterally-disposed wedge is in contact with the base of each rail.

In the present application I have shown means for independently clamping the ends of two adjacent rails within the casing; and to this end this invention consists of a new and improved rail-joint designed to be placed between two ties, in means for independently clamping each rail within the casing, and in the construction and combination of parts, all as fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate applications of my invention, Fi ure] is a side elevational view of a joint constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the joint applied between two ties to the adjacent ends of two rails; Fig. 2, a part sectional view and a part elevational View, the section being taken on line b b of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a vertical section taken on linea a of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a side elevational View of a modified form of joint embodying my invention; Fig. 5, a part sectional View and a part elevational view of the form of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 a part sectional View and a part elevational view of another modified form of joint.

Referring to the drawings, A and B represent portions of two adjacent rails of the usual and well-known form, and C ties.

The joint, which is preferably made of cast metal, comprises a hollow casing orsleeve having a base portion 2, said base portion being provided with slots 3, cut through opposite faces thereof, and the slots connected by slightly-inclined paths. Made integral with and extending throughout the length of the casing are two parallel bars or beams 4. In the forms of Figs. 1 and 6 I have shown these bars or beams terminating in end bearings 5.

A centrally-disposed downwardly-extending web or truss 6 extends longitudinally of the base portion and is connected with the casing and parallel bars or beams 4 by means of strengthening ribs or hands 7, which latter'are of sufficient strength to maintain the dependent truss and the beams 4 in their proper relative positions.

The joint is placed in position at the meeting ends of 'the two rails by first sliding it along and around the base of one rail, after which the end of the other rail is brought into alinement with it and the joint then slid along until it incloses equal portions of the bases of both rails. \Vhen the joint as thus constructed is placed in proper position around the meeting ends of two rails and the ends of the rails fastened firmly in it and in alinement by means oflateral wedges, as hereinafter described, the compression strain is thrown uponthe parallel bars or beams 4 and the tension strain upon the dependent truss beneath. In practice I prefer to make the casing with its parallel bars, truss, and ribs or hands in such proportions that the joint will have as much or greater strength and be capable of sustaining as heavy a load without deflection as a section of the rail will carry between the ties. I

A characteristic andimportant feature of the present invention consists in independently clamping and adjusting each rail within the casing. For this purpose I preferably employ tapering wedges 8, which pass laterally through the slots 3 and the casing, two in contact with the base of one rail and two in contact with the base of the other rail. For some purposes it is only necessary to employ a single wedge under each rail, such a construction being shown in Fig. 6. These wedges 8 have an exceedingly slight taper and rest on slightly-inclined paths in the base portion 2 of the casing. In cases where four wedges are used-that is to say, two wedges for each rail-it is preferable that one be located near the middle of the casing and close to the end of the rail and the'other wedge placed near the end of the casing. Using the wedges in the manner described enables the clamping of each rail firmly in place Within the casing independent of the other and permitsv the heads of the rails to be readily brought into perfect alinem'ent. The importance of providing means whereby the railsmay be independently clamped and adjusted will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, for it is well known that worn rails differ from new ones in size and also that even new rails Vary somewhat.

In practice one rail (the lowest) is first firmly secured in place within the joint by means of its wedges, after which the head of the higher rail is brought into alinement with the first rail by inserting thin strips or fillets of metal between the casing and the upper faces of the flanges of the rail, after which the second rail is securely clamped by the other laterally-driven wedges.

My joint is supported on the flanges of the rails and is constructed sufiiciently long to extend upon each of the two rails to a point upon each rail, at 'which point the rail is capable of sustaining as great a load as the rail will carry between any two ties-that is to say, the joint is supported at places on the two rails, each one of which places is capable of carrying the whole load. Attention is called to the strength and simplicity of my joint. The strength of the joint is due to the form and to the distribution of the material, as illustrated and described, care having been exercised to make the parts where the greatest strain falls the strongest and to so distribute the strain upon the joint that it will haveamplestrengthanddurability. Iffound desirable to employ bolts in connection with the joint, bolt-holes, as indicated at 9, may be made in the same.

What I claim is 1. In a joint,the combination,with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, of a casing inclosing the ends of the bases of the rails having parallel bars or beams located on both sides of the webs of the rails, and laterallydisposed wedges in contact with the bases of the rails for independently clamping each rail within the casing, substantially as set forth.

2. In a j0int,the combination,with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, of a casing in-.

closing the ends of the bases of the rails having parallel bars or beams located on both sides of the webs of the rails and a centrallydisposed web or truss, and laterally-disposed Wedges for independently clamping each rail within the casing, substantially as set forth.

3. In ajoint,the combination,with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, of a casing inclosing the ends of the bases of the rails having parallel bars or beams, located on both sides of the webs of the rails, a centrally-disposed web or truss, strengthening ribs or bands, and laterally-disposed wedges for independently clamping each rail within the casing, substantially as set forth.

4. In a joint,the combination,with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, of a casing inclosing the bases of the ends of the rails, and meansforindependentlyadj ustingandclamping each rail within the casing, comprising, laterally-driven wedges, one in frictional contact with the casing and with the base of one rail only and another wedge similarly disposed in relation to the other 'rail, substantially as set forth.

5. In ajoint,the'combination,with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, of a casing inclosing the bases of the ends of the rails, and means forindependentlyadjustingand clamping each rail within the casing, comprising two sets of laterally-driven wedges, one set in frictional contact with the casing and the base of one rail, and the other set similarly disposed in relation to the other rail, substantially as set forth.

6. In a joint,the combination,with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, of a casing inclosing the bases of the ends of the rails having parallel bars or beams located on both.

sides of thewebs of the rails, a centrally-disposed depending web or truss, strengthening ribs, or bands, slots in the base portion of the casing, and means for independently adjusting and clamping each rail within the casing, comprising, laterally-driven wedges passing through said slots, one in frictional contact with the casing and the base of one rail only, and another wedge similarly disposed in relation to the other rail, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES H. MOKEE.

Witnesses:

FRED L. ROBERTS, LAURA E. HUBBARD. 

